Statement from the General Management on the year 2024
2024 was a strong financial year for GVL: revenues rose to over €257 million, with more than 180,000 creatives and labels benefiting from GVL's work. In their statement, Dr Tilo Gerlach and Guido Evers look back on the past year. They report noticeable progress in service, digitisation and data quality. At the same time, they are clearly looking ahead: GVL continues to focus on innovation and reliability.
Key figures for 2024
Total revenue year-on-year*
In the 2024 financial year, GVL increased its total revenues to €257.9 million, representing growth of 3.5% (2023: €249.2 million).
Growth was particularly strong in the area of private copying and reproduction, while collections from broadcasting remained at the previous year's level and collections from public performance rose slightly.
The distribution amount increased by 3.2% compared to the previous year to €219.1 million.
* To view the figures, please move the mouse pointer over the graphic.
Revenue structure in 2024
Broadcasting fees for radio, television and retransmission amounted to €99.1 million in 2024, remaining stable compared to the previous year (2023: €99.9 million).
Revenues from public performance, known as ‘pub rights’, grew by £2.8 million (+6.2%) to £48.3 million. This marks the fourth consecutive year in which GVL has recorded an increase in revenues in this area.
In the area of reproduction rights, revenues rose to £88.0 million in 2024, an increase of 13.8% over the previous year (2023: £77.3 million). The significant increase can be attributed, among other things, to a back payment from ZPÜ for old performance periods.
Collections from representation agreements with foreign collecting societies amounted to €9.2 million in 2024, slightly above the 2022 level (2022: €8.4 million). In 2023, the result was significantly higher due to a back payment from Spain (2023: €14.4 million).
GVL completed a total of 15 distributions and four international forwarding rounds in 2024. It allocated a total of €203.8 million to creatives and their partners.
GVL rights holders in figures
Since the end of 2024, GVL has had a total of 180,143 rights holders – an increase of 6,276 compared to the previous year and a new record. GVL has never welcomed so many new rights holders before. The diverse backgrounds, talents and forms of expression of its rights holders reflect the impressive diversity of the creative industry. As a collecting society, GVL's work contributes to the economic foundation of performers and labels, thereby making an essential contribution to cultural diversity. With this mission, GVL is an important part of the cultural landscape.
Focus topic: Rights Holders' Assembly 2025
Successful online elections and new impetus for committee work
Around 180,000 performers and producers were called upon to participate in the delegate elections and elect their representatives at the GVL Rights Holders' Assembly (BV2025) in June 2025. Since then, the 22 newly elected delegates of the GVL have been confirmed.
‘GVL Live’: Exchange, insights and encounters
To conclude the 2025 Rights Holders' Assembly, GVL invited rights holders, newly elected delegates and industry representatives to Berlin on 11 June 2025. More than 200 performers and label representatives enjoyed a varied programme at the Festsaal Kreuzberg, focusing on GVL and topics that are important to the creative scene.
GVL explains: Our committees
GVL relies on a clear committee structure to ensure democratically legitimate decision-making. At the Rights Holders' assembly, which takes place at least every four years, performers and producers elect their representatives to the Associates’ and Delegates’ assembly (GuDV). This ensures that the interests of all rights holders are adequately represented. You can find out more about the committee structure, tasks and members on our website.
‘The BV is co-determination in action’
Interview with Juliane Fiedler, Head of Communications, on the 2025 Rights Holders' Assembly
The Rights Holders' Assembly (BV2025) took place in June 2025 – a key milestone for GVL. The event provides the framework for delegate elections, brings together creatives and labels, and at the same time creates a platform for exchange among rights holders. In this interview, Juliane Fiedler, Head of Communications and jointly responsible for the implementation of BV2025, talks about the significance of the format.
AI at GVL: Using artificial intelligence to fulfil our mission
GVL takes a strategic and responsible approach to artificial intelligence. The technology is used to optimise processes and make distributions more efficient – always in the interests of creative artists. GVL is working with partners from research and industry to further develop its data-based processes.
Welcome to Berlin!
The past few months at GVL have been all about exchange. GVL regularly welcomed guests from sister societies and organisations from Germany and abroad to Berlin, a hub of culture. At the PRC meeting with the IFPI and the tri-national meeting with LSG and Swissperform, issues relating to licensing and rights management were discussed. Participants in the MEWEM mentoring programme for female, trans and non-binary talents also visited GVL.
GVL on the move in the industry
In the past financial year, GVL was once again present at numerous industry events and engaged in direct dialogue with its rights holders and industry partners. Whether at the Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg, c/o pop in Cologne, Most Wanted: Music in Berlin or the SCAPR meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa – GVL was there to answer questions, gather ideas and advocate for the concerns of creatives as well as labels.
Photos © Frank Schoepgens (c/o pop), Stefan Wieland (RBF), Michelle Dynio (Applaus), Sascha Radke (Deutscher Schauspielpreis), Martin Dziuba (MWM), Juliane Fiedler, Roman Obst
Cultural grants: GVL as a partner to the creative industry
Diversity is a defining feature of the creative industry – visible in the wide range and depth of artistic expression. Reliable and sustainable funding structures are needed to secure the basis for cultural diversity in the long term. With grants totalling almost €4 million in 2024, GVL once again made an important contribution to this.
In addition to the targeted funding of selected individual projects, GVL deliberately focuses on supporting central funding platforms such as the Initiative Musik and the Deutscher Musikrat. Both have established themselves as pillars of a diverse and dynamic music and cultural landscape in Germany.
In addition, GVL supported numerous other projects and organisations in 2024, including:
Industry awards: GVL supports creative excellence
Unlike other collecting societies, GVL does not award its own prize. Instead, it specifically promotes awards and industry honors that highlight artistic diversity in the areas it represents. Industry awards help to publicly recognize outstanding achievements and draw attention to talent and excellence. GVL is happy to support these contributions to the appreciation of creative work.
GVL aid for Ukraine: funding rises to one million euros
More than three years have passed since the Russian army attacked Ukraine. GVL showed solidarity with the Ukrainian creative scene early on and, together with its committees, decided to provide financial support during the war. The funding, which was provided from contributions made by performers and labels, has now grown to more than one million euros and has been allocated to over 50 different projects.
We say thank you!
We would like to express our sincere thanks to our rights holders, committees and partners in the creative industry for a successful and inspiring year. Your support and trust are essential to us – they strengthen our joint commitment to the rights of creative artists and labels.